Description:
An auxiliary craft for Nova Class Survey Vessels, the WaveRider-Type atmospheric shuttlecraft is designed to facilitate close quarters examination and survey of planetary bodies by science personnel aboard the ship. At under 20 meters in length, the vessel is small enough to be carried by the Nova Class but large enough to be useful. Intended to work in atmosphere and capable of reaching speeds of up to Mach 12, the small craft is very fuel efficient at Mach-5 and above, making use of the conventional propulsion with back up impulse and RCS thrusters for maneuvering in space.
Unlike ordinary shuttlecraft, the WaveRider does not enter the ship's Main and Auxiliary Shuttlebays; instead, it inserts itself into a recessed port in the ventral part of the saucer just forward of the main sensor dome. Access to the WaveRider is provided by a hatchway inside the ship and a ladder-equipped hard umbilical.

It is not warp capable.